Pheidole claviscapa

Pheidole claviscapa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Attini
Genus:	Pheidole
Species:	P. claviscapa
Binomial name
Pheidole claviscapa Santschi, 1925 Specimen Labels

The preferred habitat is evidently cerrado, the tropical savanna of central South America. (Wilson 2003)

Identification

See the description in the nomenclature section.

Keys including this Species

• Key to Pheidole crassicornis group
• Key to Pheidole fallax group
• Key to Pheidole tristis group

Distribution

From Wilson (2003): Recorded from Minas Gerais, Goiás, Mato Grosso, and Ceará by Kempf (1972b). I have seen in addition a series from Santa Cruz, eastern Bolivia, col. P. S. Ward.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -17.35° to -17.35°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Bolivia, Brazil (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

Distribution based on AntWeb specimens

Check data from AntWeb

Countries Occupied

Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species.

Estimated Abundance

Relative abundance based on number of AntMaps records per species (this species within the purple bar). Fewer records (to the left) indicates a less abundant/encountered species while more records (to the right) indicates more abundant/encountered species.

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

• claviscapa. Pheidole claviscapa Santschi, 1925d: 224 (s.w.) BRAZIL. See also: Kempf, 1964e: 56; Wilson, 2003: 276.

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

From Wilson (2003): One of the giant Neotropical species, comparable in size to Pheidole cephalica and Pheidole fimbriata of the tristis group (q.v.).

Major: very large, Head Width about 2.1 mm; antennal scape broadly swollen and flattened at base; space between eye and antennal fossa rugoreticulate; entire median strip of gaster shagreened.

Minor: head in full-face view elliptical in outline, with nuchal crest; entire head, except frontal triangle, and mesosoma and waist foveolate and opaque; anterior half of first gastral tergite shagreened.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Major (Anápolis, Brazil): HW 2.10, HL 2.24, SL 1.20, EL 0.26, PW 1.04. Minor (Anápolis, Brazil): HW 0.80, HL 1.04, SL 1.36, EL 0.20, PW 0.62.

COLOR Major and minor: reddish yellow (“orange”) or reddish brown.

Figure. Upper: major; the antennal scape viewed edge-on is depicted next to the frontal view of the head; the upper of the two dorsal-oblique views is of a syntype major. Lower: minor. BRAZIL: Anápolis, Goiás, col. W. Kempf. Compared with syntypes. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Type Specimen Labels

Type Material

Brazil. Pirapora, Minas Gerais. Naturhistorisches Museum, Basel - as reported in Wilson (2003)

Etymology

L Gr claviscapa, “club stem,” referring to the swollen and somewhat flattened base of the antennal scape. (Wilson 2003)

References

• Wilson, E. O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.(page 276, fig. major, minor described)
• Albuquerque, N.L.d., Brandão, C.R.F. 2004. A revision of the Neotropical Solenopsidini ant genus Oxyepoecus Santschi, 1926 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae). 1. The Vezenyii species-group. Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia (São Paulo). 44: 55-80 (doi:10.1590/S0031-10492004000400001).
• Kempf, W. W. 1964e. Miscellaneous studies on Neotropical ants. III. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Stud. Entomol. 7: 45-71 (page 56, see also)
• Kempf, W. W. 1972b. Catálogo abreviado das formigas da região Neotropical. Stud. Entomol. 15: 3–344.
• Santschi, F. 1925d. Nouveaux Formicides brésiliens et autres. Bull. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 65: 221-247 (page 224, soldier, worker described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Fernández, F. and S. Sendoya. 2004. Lista de las hormigas neotropicales. Biota Colombiana Volume 5, Number 1.
• Kempf W. W. 1964e. Miscellaneous studies on Neotropical ants. III. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Studia Entomologica 7: 45-71.
• Kempf W. W. 1978. A preliminary zoogeographical analysis of a regional ant fauna in Latin America. 114. Studia Entomologica 20: 43-62.
• Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
• Santschi F. 1925. Nouveaux Formicides brésiliens et autres. Bulletin et Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique 65: 221-247.